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Thursday, October 22, 2015

All About That Bag - Lily Jade Edition + MJ Gives Back

Today I'm talking about a few of my favorite things... Lily Jade diaper bags, Matilda Jane Clothing and shopping for a wonderful cause!

Starting today through this weekend, Kat and I are hosting an online Matilda Jane show benefiting Scottish Rite hospital. Scottish Rite is near and dear to both of our hearts and I am so beyond excited that 25% of each purchase will go straight to the amazing hospital. Directions for shopping are in the graphic below - but don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions!

In today's post, Griffin is wearing one of the prettiest dresses from their Fall release along with these leggings and later in the post, this jacket. Knot dresses are some of my favorites because they last forever and with the removable apron it's like getting two dresses in one. I think they look great alone, with a shirt underneath or layered with a jacket over top. As girls grow, they become more of a tunic and look great with leggings or ruffles. They're quintessential MJ and are a great staple piece.

So, onto the bags. I received a Lily Jade Elizabeth Bag last Spring and instantly fell in love. The leather was supple, the color was rich and the bag was super high quality. I blogged about it HERE and my rave review really hasn't changed since then. In fact, my bag has only gotten better over time.

Lily Jade bags are the PERFECT stylish diaper bag (that doesn't scream BABY!), and when you're done toting around baby gear, the organizer insert comes out and you're left with a great handbag.

My favorite part of their bags is the multiple ways you can wear them.

They can be carried like a normal handbag, as a cross body or as a backpack and switching it around is all done with just unclipping and reclipping the strap.

I mean!!! When on EARTH did she get this big???

The backpack option is fantastic when you're lugging groceries, pushing a stroller, or tossing a toddler in the air :)

She was more than likely looking for snacks :) Girlfriend knows where I keep the good stuff. hahaha

Next up is my newest addition, the Meggan in black. I was needing a great black bag and as soon as I saw the Meggan I knew it would be perfect.

It's big, but not giant, and can be carried the same three ways as the Elizabeth.

Here it is in backpack mode. I typically carry this one over my shoulder, but then cross body if I'm running into the store or carrying other stuff into school. If we're out and about with the kids I'm backpack all the way. Gotta have free hands for snuggles!

This is where the post gets borderline embarrassing :) I'm no longer toting around bottles and burp clothes and butt paste... but as a working mom my bags HAVE to serve multiple purposes. I try to keep things separate, but inevitably my school life and mom life end up overlapping and the Lily Jade bags have served these purposes beautifully.

My days start early and there's usually at least one errand/appointment/stop after school and when we finally get home, my bag is usually pretty full with paraphernalia from our day . Here's what I was toting around with my on Tuesday. No joke.

Yes ma'am. All of that was in my bag. hahaha

This is where I want to bury my face in my coat :) hahaha

My Day Designer goes with me pretty much everywhere because I have never liked using the calendar app on my phone. The embroidered bag is full of lip gloss and other necessities and the foam sword was left at last weekend's Harvest Party and on our way into school Tuesday morning I looked in Mason's bag to put his nap blanket in there and found the sword. I quickly confiscated the foam weapon and stuck it in my bag. #momlife

I always have a slew of red pens with me at all times along with a stack of grading because you never know when you're going to get 5 extra minutes in to get a few things graded. I gave tests to 5/6 of my classes on Tuesday and was able to get started on my grading at the dentist that afternoon. #winning

From August - November I pretty much always have an apple on my person and the bracelet I had been looking for was in there as well. ;)

Jack Bauer's refills from his checkup on Monday were stuck in there along with a cool rock my little geologist picked up and needed me to hold.

Griffin likes to pull her shoes off in the car and so part of my routine is throwing them in my bag when we get home so they don't get lost in the abyss that can be the backseat of the minivan. The little notebooks are where I jot down grocery lists, to-do's, random thoughts, etc.

These three things are my GG emergency kit. One of these will pretty much solve any of her two-year-old woes.

And let's not forget about the little side pockets... one of which always contains the "emergency boy underwear" :)

The leather is so pretty and the red interior is such a fun pop.

The hardware on the back allows you to unclip the long strap and turn it into the backpack carry.

And here are the bags in action a couple of weeks ago when I was wearing this hoodie.

(The dress is AMAZING!!! It's Lyocell so it hangs beautifully and washes equally well. I ordered up a size since it was a teeny bit short in the front (and I stand in front of a room of teenagers all day). It doesn't have stretch and runs a little snug across the shoulders, so if you're busty, you may want to go up a size)

So, about my shoes. My brown pair is by Free People, but they're from a few seasons ago and my black pair is from ModCloth, but sold out. This pair is kind of like a mix of my two pairs and I'm swooning over the color options.

I really can't say enough great things about Lily Jade - the bags and the company. I have never had anything but super sweet interactions with every person I've talked to there and they LOVE making moms happy. If you're in the market for a great bag I highly recommend you check them out.

I hope y'all have a fantastic Thursday and don't forget to get your MJ wishlists in this weekend!

PS - Thank you so much to Lily Jade for providing me with the bags to review. Also, this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a link and purchase an item, I may receive a small commission. THANK YOU!!!

Butt paste is an awesome diaper rash paste. It cleared my sons bottom right up even better than the prescription stuff the Dr insisted I needed for him. It's a light brown thick paste. My husband said it would make great Spackle. Lol! But buy the paste in the jar not the squeeze tube. You can get it out of the tube!!! Lol! It's seriously the BEST!! I always buy it and diapers for baby showers.